Roller-skate



(No Mod el.)

J. HEAOOGK.

ROLLER SKATE. No. 338,070. Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

WITNESSES INVENTOR BY VG,

ATTORNEYS.

lINiTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOEL HEACOCK, OF BRIGHTON, IOWA.

ROLLER-SKATE.

CPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,070, dated March16, 1886.

A pplication filed July 9, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OEL HEACOOK, of Brighton, in the county of\Vashington and State of Iowa, have invented a new and ImprovedRoller-Skate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention frelatcs to roller-skates more particularly designed fortraveling along a railway-rail, and has for its object to promotecomfortable and safe travel in this way by providing a simple,inexpensive, efficient, and durable skate of this character.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations of parts of the roller-skate, all as hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved roller-skate as applied touse, and Fig. 2 is an under side view of the skate.

The letter A indicates the foot-piece of the skate, which preferably ismade of a thin metal plate havinga pendent marginal stiffening-flange,a, and provided with an upwardlyprojecting heel-flange, a, to which theback straps, B, are connected, the front straps, 0, being attached tothe flange a, and by which straps the skate may be held to the foot, asshown in Fig. 1.

At D is shown the main roller of the skate, which is journaled by itsaxle or gudgeons d in the flange a, and so as to be located directlybeneath the shank e of the boot or shoe E, thereby allowing a roller oflarger diameter to be used, to allow easy running over rough places andwithout raising the skates any higher from the surface on which therollers run.

In front of the roller D is journaled to the foot-piece, by its axle orgudgeons f, the forward roller, F, which islocated under the ball or toeof the foot, and forward of the roller F are pivoted to lugs g h theopposite flange wheels or disks,G H,which preferably are con vexed ontheir inner faces, as in Fig. 2, and are arranged to run one ateach sideof the head I of the railway-rail, on which the skates Serial No.171,149. (No model.)

shown are specially intended to be used, the wheels G H acting as guidesor guards to pre vent slip of the skater sidewise from the rail.

Immediately underneath the heel of the footpiece A is fastened by screwsor otherwise the block or plate J, of rubber, leather, or other suitablematerial, and which is intended for use as a brake against the top ofthe rail I, to prevent a backward fall of the skater, should the forwardpart of the skate be unduly lifted from the rail, and in front of theroller F is fixed to the foot-piece A the block or stop K, of rubber,leather, or other suitable material, which is intended to strike andbind on the rail as the skater steps each foot forward to propel himselfalong the rail, the stop-blocks K taking a firm hold of the rail as theheel of each foot is lifted, and .thus preventing backslip of the skateron the forward rollers, F, of his skates.

It will be seen that the main roller D is almost directly beneath thecenter of gravity of the skater,- hence the skate'rs weight may besustained almost wholly by said main roller, thus reducing largely theweight on the forward roller, F, and preventing excessive friction ofthe flange or guide wheels G H on the sides of the rail-head,consequently the skates will run easily and safely on the rail.

In using these skates the skater will propel himself along one of therails I of a railwaytrack, while he supports or steadies himself bymeans of a staff provided with rollers, which he holds against the otherrail of the track.

It is obvious that when the flanged guidewheels G H and their bearings gh, and also the forward stop-blocks, K, are removed, the skates willserve well for use on ordinary level floors or walks, and when so usedthe heel blocks or plates J will prevent backward fall of the skater,and by balancing himself on the roller D, by slightly lifting theforward roller, F, which may very easily and safely be done, very shortturns or curves may be made to either side.

When used as an ordinary floor-skate, the peripheral faces of therollers D F will preferably be slightly convexed, to facilitate theturning of the skater, as will readily be understood.

The skate-rollers will preferably be made of wood; but'any othersuitable material may be em loyed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 5 as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A roller-skate consisting of the foot-plateA, having toe and heel-stops K J, roller D,

journaled at din front of the rear stop, the roller F, journaled at f inrear of the toe-stop, 10 and thetwo guide-rollers G H at the toe end ofthe plate on opposite sides of the front stop, K, and spaced to receivethe head I of a rail between them, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the foot-plate A, of the roller D, journaledthereon, as shown 1 at d, the roller F, journaled as shown at f, in

front of the roller D, and the two guide-rollers G H, journaled at thetoe of the plate to receive the head of a rail between them, as shownand described.

, JOEL HEAGOOK.

Witnesses:

R. S. MILLs, O. O. HEAOOQK;

